Courts cases to be linked over the internet

ANYONE involved in a court action will be able to use e-mail to file claims, submit legal documents and pay fines once a five-year plan to modernise the judicial system is completed.

There are also plans for a "virtual courtroom", where people will be able to contribute to a case via the internet without having to appear in person.

The Courts Service yesterday confirmed it was working on the new e-Courts initiative, aimed at speeding up the courts' operations and increasing access for citizens to the courts.

The judicial system has faced criticism for its archaic structures and reliance on paperwork but the new plans mean the prospect of a paperless court may be just years away.

"What we're doing is transforming a lot of practices from the 19th century and bringing them into the 21st century," a Courts Service spokesman said.

"The ultimate aim is to have a paperless court, which would like be a return to the old Brehon Law system 1,000 years ago, which relied on an oral tradition."

A pilot project using computer screens and computers in the Supreme Court will get underway next year.

Some aspects of the five-year strategy are already in place, such as computerised processing of fines and payouts.

Some 800m passed through the computerised system last year. In a

separate development, a special Commercial Court is to be established in January next year in response to vast increases in litigation involving private firms.

It will operate as a division of the High Court and be staffed by officials with expertise in company law.

This follows a report by a legal committee earlier this year which underlined the need for a commercial court.

The committee on court practice and procedure, chaired by Supreme Court judge, Mrs Justice Susan Denham, hopes the new court will help relieve pressure on the system.

The courts general workload rose by 18% in the last 12 months, according to the latest figures.